Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-05-18
SCIENCE OF MAGIC.
WHAT AN EXPERT ONCE SAID OF
THE so CALLED "BLAcK ART"
An Opinion of Various Modern Miracles.
Mime. Blavatsky's Peculiar Magnetic
Powers-Bishop's Mind Reading-Hel'
ler's Tricks-Jugglors of India.


Powers-Bishop's Mind Reading-Hel
ler's Tricks-Jugglers of India.
Perhaps no one outside Of professiona
circles ever took greater interest in tn,
science of magic than the late Harry L
, Sands. The secrets and apparatus which
he brought together cost over $4,000
and represented the results of sixteeI
years close study, backed by an abund
ance of enthusiasm and plenty of imitativ,
ability. He studied chemistry and cleo
tricity in order to use them in perfectinl
his illusions, and he had sanctum o.
studio where he passed every moment III
could spare from business in working III
new effects for his performances.
Although going deep into tho practica
working out of illusions, Mr.. Sands, dur
ing the latter part of his life, devoted {
great deal of attention to the study of thu
occult science, although he was very fal
from being convert to the Theosophical
creed. Through his knowledge of magic
he could explain many Of the so called
tests made to demonstrate the truthful
ness of the teachings of the Theosophists
In speaking one day shortly before his
death Mr.. Sands said:
1.-The experiments mentioned as having
occurred through the agency of Nine
Blavatsky seem to ME to be embraced il
the A B C of sleight of hand. Any per
son having good knowledge of sleight Of
hand will laugh at the idea of con
Meeting q supernatural power witt
the finding of money in bureau
drawers or the discovering of cups and
saucers among the branches of tree. A
beautiful experiment mentioned is the
chime of bells said to be heard very otter
just above Mime. Blavatsky's head. l dc
not doubt that those chimes were heard
and account for them in the same way
that | account for table rapping. Nine
Blavatsky must be wonderfully endowed
with magnetic force in order to produce
this ringing sound upon the air, but
believe the effect could be arrived at simply
through physical causes. Very few people
now attribute anything supernatural to
table moving and rapping, but correctly
put it down to the power of electricity act
ing through the fingers of those engaged
in the experiments. Once saturate table
with water and you can do nothing with
it, but give it thorough drying before q
fire and it will dance sailors hornpipc
for you, which knocks the supernatural
theory on the head.
The table and chair lifting of Heller
Mr.. Sands pronounced trick performed
to perfection, and it was his intention to
introduce the illusion in his own perform
ance, having obtained the secret from
abroad He had also secured the ''mind
reading Illusion" as he called it, now
being performed so successfully by Bishop.
Mr.. Sands obtained the illusion from Ger
many and prepared to duplicate all of
Bishops tests. He said the whole trick
was summed up in the question of mem
DRY and delicacy of touch. He did not
propose to put it before the public as any
thing more than a clever trick. The mind
reading business he said was simply Rob
ert Heller's second sight trick elaborated,
but not improved. Both second sight and
mind reading originated with the Ger
mans. Mr.. Sands owned a copy of Hell
ler's original manuscript of the second
sight business. The directions and signs
covered several pages, and the performer
was required to learn the entire thing Shy
heart" rs they say i'll school. The task
was apparently as difficult as that of mas
tcring new language.
Mr.. Sands believed in rendering an
amateur magical performance as perfect
in every detail as those upon the profess
sional stage. He never encouraged his
friends to take up magic, believing that
very few of them would have the patience
to master what he considered q science.
He also warned the would be embryo
Hellers of the expense incident to forming
even passing good collection of secrets
and illusions, many of the effects costing
as high as 5000 or $500 each. The secrets
trio hn
found often cost ten times as much as the
apparatus. He owned some tricks that
cost him less than 81, while the eXplana-
they were to be performed he valued at
from $25 to $50.
Included in Mr.. Sands collection was a
large, thick book of 500 pages filed with
directions in writing for performing the
several illusions which he brought into
his performances. Here and there Mr..
Sands had introduced pen and ink sketches
of the apparatus to be used in doing the
tricks and he valued the book more than
anything he possessed.
A new illusion, which Mr.. Sands i'm
ported shortly before his death, was a
talking skull. This skull would answer
questions, tell stories, and in fact appeared
to be endowed with life In describing
its makeup its owner said that it was q
combination Of microphone, telephone and
monograph, and he considered it one of
the greatest triumphs Of science applied
to magic he had ever seen. He could take
the skull in his hand and walk with it
through the audience, making it answer
questions right and left as he moved
along This, of course, did away with the
idea that the skull was connected with
the rear Of the stage by wires and oper-
ated by the assistant.
Mr.. Sands took great interest in the
science of legerdemain as performed by
the iugglers of India, and it was his great
ambition to make trip into the land Of
Buddha and witness the feats performed
by the natives of India. He had theory
to the effect that the snake charmers and
jugglers first mesmerized their audiences
and then led them Oh to imagine many
things took place which really never hap
pened. At the same time he believed the
Hindoos were acquainted with many
natural laws entirely unknown to the
Europeans, and through knowledge Of
these laws accomplished feats which APP
peared to be supernatural to the less
learned people of the west.
About year ago friend of Mr.. Sands,
who had recently returned from India,
presented him with q package of seeds
used by the jugglers in performing one Of
their apparently supernatural feats. Fol
lowing the directions given him by his
friend, he planted the seed in moist earth,
which had previously been heated by mix
ing 1t with O little lime. Within fifteen
minutes the seeds sprouted, and in half an
hour had put forth shoots to the height of
five or six inches. He tried this same ex-
pertinent with seeds obtained from for
list, but failed to arrive at any result
Brooklyn Eagle
This is a little note worth remembering:
The prescription Is the property OF the
patient, ON the principle that what he
pays for is his own. It is not the drug